Machine for feeding blanks



H. SLABoM-BARDE MACHINE FOR FEEDING BLANKS oiginal Filed June 15, 1923 2sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY Dec. '4, 1928. 1,693,928

' H. S. LABOMBARDE MACHINE'FOR FEEDING BLANKS origina; Filed June 15.,1925 2 sheets-sheet ,2

la7/G 7 BY hfxL-HW ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

"PATENT oFFlcE..

HAROLD S. LABOMBAIBDE, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING BLANKS.

Application led June 15, 1923, Serial No. 645,663.v Renewed February 28,1928.

The principal object of my invention'is to provide a machine for feedingblanks 1n which the blanks are fed in one direction one by one and thenfed one by one in a d1- 5 rection substantially transverse to the firstdirection and while my invention is especiallyk useful in connectionwith making envelopes it is also useful for many other purposes.

A feature of my invention is feeding in one direction to one end. of apile of blanks, for example, to the top end, and then feedingtransversely from the bottomend and I have illustrated this formalthough my invcntion contemplates feeding tothe bottom and thentransversely from the top. .i I Another feature of my invention is thatl the transverse feeding is untimed, that is,

the mechanism which starts the blank in the transverse'direction isI atall times available top actv while heretofore such starting mechanismhas been available only at interyvals and usually has advanced the blanktransversely and then has-withdrawn to engage'the next blank with aconsequent lapse of considerable time between` the transverse startingof oneblank and such starting of the next blank, whereas with myinvention one vblank may follow another transversely as quickly asdesired with the result that the speed of output is tremendouslyincreased;

' 'Another feature is that the transverse feed may be dependent upon thenumber of blanks in the pile.

j Another feature is that the first feed, as

distinguished from the transverse feed, may be untimedand I do' awaywith the necessity of squaring u mechanism in connection with the firsteed.' s

40 [Still another feature is means for squaring upthe'blanks-preparatory,to the transverse I, eeing but without delay tosuch transverse ee.`f-v v 1 y Other features will be ,pointed out.below.

In the drawings i t .@Figure 1 is a partial 'elevation of mechan nismembodying'myinvention; Q- Figure 2 is-an end elevation, partly insectOn, Of-the SamelOOkIlg inl the direction Of matically-approaehingits positionrabovethe 105 thelka'rrows 2-2 in'Figure 1 ""'Figures'B and4 are diagrammatic viewsdescribed below; flf f yFigure 5is' apartialplan in the plane of l linea-5 of Figure .1;

if' 'f" i Figure 61s Ta partial elevation in the plane of.pline6'"6"ffF1gure 5, andl f Figure 7 is a plan on a smaller scale of amachine for making envelopes and embody- 'ing my invention.

I illustrate my invention as embodied in a machine for folding blankstomake envelopes of the generaltype shown in Patent No. 1,144,506 datedJune 29, 1915, the wider iiaps being folded and glued by `any suitablemechanism such as that in Patent No. 1,096,- 633 dated May 12, 1914.

The blank A is fed, in the machine shown, from the top of the .pile inthe hopper B to rolls B and thence past the scoring rolls B2,

B3 and past the gluing mechanism B4 to the A belts B5 for folding theflaps a and a', the blanks being shown in Figure 4 with the side flapsfolded, the dotted lines indicating the position of the side flapsbefore folding.

The blanks', after folding of the side flaps, are fed one by one betweenbelts Be and B7 to form a pile between the rocking members or joggershereinafter described, the bottom end of the pile being `supported byarms E and E which form a base for the pile and which are lvconnectedtogether rigidly by rod E3 which may be mounted on the machine, in anysuitable way such as by the pivoting shown. Arm E is in one piece withperfoi rated portion E* which receives rod E5, the latter beingadjustably held by set screw E". A counterweight E7 is adjustably heldby set screw E8 to the rod E57, and is so located that ,it will normallyhold up'the arms E and Er` and consequently hold the lowermost blank outof engagement. with feed belt F which runs at a right angle to belts B6and B7. When however the desired number of blanks is in the pile orthepressure on the lowermost blank is otherwise sufficient thelowermostblank will press down arms E'and E so that belt F will engage;and feed the lowermost blank which willi pass transversely undersuitablerolls in cage-F and thence be l A fed by belts and G to.suitable mechanism for scoring, gluingand folding the smaller or end.flaps a2 and a3 shown diagrammatically in Figure 4. l f y In Figure?,the blank is shown diagramarms E and E', in that position, and 'then,passing along itsv transversepath, the flaps a2 and: a.a being shown-in full lines to indicate the condition at the start ofthe transfversefeed and being shown dotted to-indicate the condition afteri-thefolding.

Shaft H `carries a `pulley for "bel/tf1?. and

h carried by arm h fixed to rock shaft h2, to which is fixed linger hwhich oscillates finger h* fixed to shaft h to the other end of which isoperatively connected spring h". Spring h holds roller h in engagementwith cam H. Shaft 11,2 has fixed connect-ion with jogging or rockingmembers H2 and h5 has fixed connection with jogging or rocking, membersH3. A fixed gage H* is suitabl held by arch Hs to control the transversefeed. Fixed members H and H'r act in opposition to joggers H2 while gageH* acts in opposition to joggers H3. -The rocking motion of joggers 2andL Hs squares up. hed blanks preparatory to the transverse I haveillustrated the blanks as being one directly above the other to form apile but the blanks might otherwisev form a pile, such, for example, asby overlapping.

The very great practical advantage of my machine isthat its speed may beabout five times that of any prior machine having a transverse feed andeven with this increased speed perfect accuracy is retained."

It is to be understood that, as shown, each blank is fed to the pile inthe directionof the longitudinal axis or length of the blank and eachblank is fed from the pile in -the direct-ion of the width or transverseaxis of the blank, this feeding in the direction of the transverse axisof the blank being along the transverse path shown in Figure 3 andindicated by the arrow which points to the ri ht in that figure. 1 f

hat I claim is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks successively in the direction of one axis of the blanks to form apile; and means'for feeding the4 blanks successively from the pile inthe direction of the transverse axis of the blanks.

2. A machine of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks successively in one direction to form a. pile; and means forfeeding the blanks successively away from the pile in a directionsubstantially transverse to the first-mentioned direction, thelast-mentioned feeding means acting on the pile at the end opposite theyend to which'the blanks are fed by the firstmentioned feeding means. y

3. A machine of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks successively in the direction of one axis of the blanks to form apile; and untimed means for starting the blanks successively from thepile in the direction of the transverse axis of the blanks.

4. A machine. of the character described comprising -untimed means forfeeding blankssuccessively in the direction of one axis of the blanks toform a pile; and uncessively in the direction of one axis ofthe blanksto form a pile; and means for feed- .ing the blanks successively fromthe pile in the direction of the transverse axis of the blanks, thefeeding ofthe last mentioned means being dependent upon the feedingaction of the first mentioned means.

7. A machine of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks successively in the direction of one axis of the blanks; means toreceive the blanks one after another from the feeding means to form apile.; and means forfeeding the blanks from said receiving means in the'direction of the transverse axis of the blanks, the feeding action ofthe second mentioned feeding means being dependent upon the number ofblanks in the pile.

8. Al machine of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks successively in one direction to form apile; and means forfeeding the blanks successively from theA pile in a direction transverseto the first-mentioned direction, the feeding action of thelast-mentioned means being,

dependent upon the pressure on the lowermost blank Kof the pile..

9. A device of the character described comprising means for feedingblanks inv one direction successively; a receptacle to receive theblanks one after another .from the feeding means' to form a pile; saidreceptacle having a movable base; and means for feedipg the blankssuccessively from saidA receptacle'in a direction transverse to saidfirst-mentioned direction, said base bein movable topermit successiveeng ement o the blanks with the last-mentione feeding means.

10. A device of the character. described comprising means for feedingblanks in one direction successively; a receptacle to receive the blanksone after another from the 'feeding means to form al pile; a. centrallypivoted member, formed 'at .one sideiof the pivot support the pile ofblanks and having a counter-weighted portionr at the other side of thepivot; and means for feeding the blanks successively from saidreceptacle in a directionr-transverse tosai'drst-mentioned dif.

last-mentioned feeding means until the desired number ofblanks are in"the receptacle.

comprising means to' feed blanks successively in the direction-of oneaxis of the blanks to form a pile; means to square up the -blanks in thepile; and means-.fto feed the-blanks successively from the pile 'inzthedirect-ion of the t ansverse axis of the" blanks. 12,'A machine of thecharacter described comprising means to feed blanks successivelyj in onedirection to form a pile; members to engage the edges of the blanks inthe pile; mea-ns to move said members to square up the blanks in thepile; and means to feed the blanks successively from the pile in adirection transverse to the first-mentioned direction.

13. A machine of the character described comprising means to feed blankssuccessively in one direction; members to engage edges of each blank;means to rock said members lo square up the blank; and means to feed theblanks successively in a direction transverse to the lirst mentioneddirection.

l-l. A machine of the character described comprising means to feedblanks successively in the direction of one axis nof the blanks to forma pile; members to engage the edges of the blanks in the pile; means torock said members to square up the blanks in the pile; and means to feedthe blanks successively from the pile in the direction of the transverseaxis ofthe blanks.

15. A machine for acting on blanks each having two liaps'exlending at asubstantially right angle to each other withreference to the body of theblank and comprising means for feeding the blanks successively to form apile, one of said flaps, during a part of `said feeding, extendingoutwardly with reference to the center of the feeding path; and meansfor feedino' the blanks successively and transversely fiom the pile, the,other of said flaps, during a part of such transverse feeding,extending outwardly with relation to the center of the transversefeeding path.

16. A machine for making envelopes comprising means for folding two ofthe la s 'of eachl blank; means for feeding the blan (s i l v l Vl`:fromsaid `folding means successively and 11. A machlne of the characterdeserlbcd ,substantially horizontally and in the direction of oneaxisgof the blanks toform a pile; means for feeding the .'blankssuccessively landosubstantially horizontally from the J pile in`a.di1'ection at substantially a right -5' angle tothe first-mentioneddirection; and

. means for .folding the other two fiaps` of each blank after thesecond-mentioned feeding.

y 17. A machine for malng envelopes comprising means forhfolding two ofthey flaps ofe'ach blank; ymeans for feeding the blanks successivelyfrom said foldingmeans in the direction of one axis of they blanks;,u'ntimed means for feeding the blankssuccessively in a direction atsubstantially 'a right angleto the first mentioned direction; and meansfor folding the other two flaps of each blank after the second-mentionedfeeding.

18. A machine for making envelopes comprising means for folding two ofthe flaps of each blank; means for feeding theblanks from said foldingmeans successively and substantially horizontally and in the directionof one axis of the blanks to form a pile; untimed means for feeding theblanks successively and substantially horizontally from the pile in adirection at substantially a right angle to theii-rst-mentioneddirection; and

means for folding the other two laps of each blank after thesecondfmentioned feeding.

19. A machine for making envelopes comprising means for folding two ofthe flaps of each blank; means for feeding the blanks from said foldingmeans successively and substantially horizont-ally and in the direct-ionof one axis of the blanks to form a pile; means for feeding the blankssuccessively and substantially horizontally from the pile in a directionat substantially a right angle to the first-mentioned direction, thefeeding action of the last-mentioned means being dependent upon thepressure on the lowermost blank of the pile; and. means for folding theother two flaps of each blank after the second-mentioned feeding.

HAROLD S. LABOMBARD'E.

